RCL Cruiser Tried Holland America (Alaska) Last Week

[Truluv]

Thanks again to everyone who gave me tips as I tried HAL in Alaska for the 1st time last week. For anyone else considering HAL, I thought I'd post some of the comparisons that I discovered. My last few cruises with RCL were on Freedom and Oasis class ships, so HAL's smaller ship (Oosterdam) was a return to the smaller ships that we cruised with many years ago.

 

Demographics: There were some kids on board, but not very many. For some reason I kept taking the wrong elevator and ended up in the HAL kids' area repeatedly. I only saw a few small children there once. I spotted a teenager in the hot tub and another few kids in the pool, but generally kids were nearly invisible. (Alaska tends to have older cruisers anyway, but our NCL cruise has significantly more kids.) There was a very healthy population of retirees in 60s and up, including people with scooters. I even met a few people in their 90s (who were in great shape, by the way!). It might be surprising that there was only one medical emergency during the week.

 

Dining Room: The dining room was exceptional. Food was presented beautifully (a little short on veggies with entrees), and was absolutely delicious. Portions were small, but by the end of the week they felt perfect. I was traveling with a kid who ordered multiple portions. It felt like a return to old-style dining, before banquet food took over dining rooms. Service was exceptional, including a wine steward. Yes, there was lobster night (including in the Lido, HAL's version of the Windjammer). Tablecloths for every meal, and seated quickly even in the "My Time" dining. Room service was fast, and a good assortment of choices. We could even order from the premium restaurants for room service with a slight extra fee. Fresh-squeezed orange juice in the dining room. The premium restaurants were good too, and seemed very popular.

 

Lido (Windjammer): Tried it twice, and hated it both times. Significantly fewer options than RCL, and didn't like layout or the way food was served. Burgers and hotdogs by the pool were pretty good. Great coffees in their observation area.

 

Fantastic library -- better choices than my local library LOL! Loved the multiple jigsaw puzzles and piles of games, and saw many people playing chess and games all week in the observation lounge. I also liked the on-board naturalist's multiple talks, including port talks about Alaska in addition to talks to try to sell excursions or push shopping on passengers. The cooking class kitchen was cool. While HAL claims a Catholic priest on board its ships and computer classes, those activities weren't available last week. The computer lab was large though, and looked like it would have been great. Passengers were very friendly. We were asked if we wanted to dine with others in the dining room (My-time dining) and met very interesting people. Trivia was a popular activity for this crowd. The ship was absolutely quiet after 10-11 pm.

 

Entertainment was limited - a comedian and magician, music shows, good blues music and a piano bar - none of the big RCL extravaganzas. Casino was really tiny. No cigar club or smoking on board anymore.

 

Cabin TV - great! Only a few live tv shows (MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, ESPN) but many recent on-demand movies at no extra cost. I was in a Neptune suite, which gave me access to a lounge with a Concierge, food, cookies, truffles, beverages, etc. Huge balcony, free mimosas with breakfast and appetizers each day if requested, robes, jacuzzi tub and separate shower, free laundry and pressing service, etc. I tried to peek into other cabins, but the stewards were very protective of passengers' privacy and didn't leave doors open when cleaning cabins.

 

I didn't take advantage of the spa, gym, trivia, or on-board shopping. I didn't buy an internet package (no unlimited interest available). The pool cover over the main pool was nice in AK, and lounges had cushions making the pool area very pleasant.

 

Overall, it reminded me of cruises back in the 80s - an old-fashioned cruise experience that was very restful. I see why HAL passengers are loyalists. In my opinion, not as good as RCL for cruisers who enjoy RCL's extraordinary range of on-board experiences, but it was a very enjoyable cruise. I'm glad I tried it!

[Nccruiser01]

Thank you, Truluv. We've been cruising mostly with RCCL and some with Celebrity. Been thinking about trying other lines and your review convinced me that we should.

 

Deb

[Clarea]

Thanks for the comparison report.:)

[torpeedo]

Thank you for that great review. We have cruised HAL many times and your review is really accurate. I do miss the Rosenthal China in the dining room and the elegant service from the very friendly HAL crew. Actually the Oosterdam is one of the larger HAL ships. We cruised a lot on the S class ships which I am sure are phasing out as they are very small but an intimate setting. Enjoyed your review!